Toronto: At Least 50,000 Still Without Power

One week after a massive ice storm, between 50-100,000 Torontonians remain in the dark.

Dalit Halevi, Tova Dvorin, 27/12/13 08:17

Electric company worker

Flash 90

The government of Ontario, the Toronto municipality and the Electric Company have been scrambling to restore power to thousands of customers, reports Shalom Toronto. Over one week since a massive ice storm, at least 50,000-100,000 have been estimated to still be without power.

Last week saw over 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) of freezing rain, downing trees city-wide. The aftermath: damage to Toronto's electricity system - which has affected at least 600,000 customers.

As of Thursday, 100,000 people were estimated to still be disconnected from the power supply. That number includes at least 79,000 people in major metropolitan areas - approximately 72,000 in Toronto and 7,000 in the North York area.

Late Thursday, estimates hovered closer to 50,000 without power, according to various local media sources.

The Electricity Company of Toronto has been receiving aid from other provinces, including Manitoba and Quebec, in order to work around the clock to restore power.

In Toronto, several heated community centers have been opened to provide refuge for Torontonians suffering from the power outage. 13 police stations have also been kept open in public areas for 24/7 support. Similar centers were operated earlier in the storm within cities like Vaughan, Markham, Burlington, Hamilton, Brampton and Halton Hills.

Emergency medical teams are also being set up by the Ontario government, to be available and on-call immediately in the event of an emergency. 15 medical staff from various disciplines have volunteered for the team, which is based at the Sunnybrook Hospital in north-central Toronto.

The Ontario government has also set up a task force to check on the city's elderly or otherwise vulnerable populations.

The UJA Federation of Greater Toronto opened the Lebovic Community Center in nearby Vaughan to accommodate more victims of the power outage, and has also sent its own task force to check on the elderly in the Jewish community.

Toronto's public transportation systems, meanwhile, have been fully restored.

The Ontario government reminds local residents to be wary of carbon monoxide poisoning, which could be caused by fumes trapped in enclosed spaces from electric generators or gas stoves. At least 283 local residents have complained of poisoning systems. As of Wednesday, 4 people were hospitalized after fumes became trapped in their homes.